Cleo DeOrio (she/her) is a Physical Theatre and Dance director/teacher from Cleveland, Ohio. Cleo received a BA from Baldwin Wallace University in Directing and Choreography, and an MFA from Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, where she developed works such as Citizens of Nowhere and Visions of a Crying Girl. Cleo is Faculty of Dance and Movement at Dell’Arte International and resident Director of 1230 Clowns in Las Vegas, NV . She specializes in storytelling through movement, physical character development, partnering techniques, and devising. Visit her website at cleodeorio.com

Mery Miguez
Clownch, NLP practitioner and mindfulness coach with thirty years of experience at the intersection of theatre, contemplative practice and social change. Mery developed her own synthesis she calls Clownching, blending clown, NLP and mindfulness to help people become true friends to themselves.

Holly Stoppit
Creator of Clown-o-therapy and holder of an MA in Dramatherapy, Holly brings two decades of experience using clown as a vehicle for psychological healing and self-discovery. She is one of the most respected voices working at the intersection of clowning and therapeutic practice.

Patrick van den Boom
Hospital clown, founder of Clownschool International and pioneer of clowning in dementia care, Patrick has dedicated his life to bringing presence, laughter and connection to those who need it most. His philosophy is rooted in the transformative power of being fully in the moment.

Jamie Wood
International art clown, physical theatre practitioner and counsellor, Jamie is known for his acclaimed trilogy of solo shows and his work helping people rediscover their creativity. His session draws on Jungian psychology to explore the shadow parts of ourselves we rarely dare to share.

Ailon Freedman
Guided onto the spiritual path after a near-fatal accident at 21, Ailon has spent his life synthesising yoga philosophy, therapy and clowning into a practice he calls Clown Healing. He is a wounded healer in the truest sense, and his work has been described as a visceral spiritual practice that enlivens the body, liberates the emotions and energises the soul.

Sophie Besse
Theatre director, drama therapist and founder of PSYCHEdelight Theatre Company of Sanctuary, Sophie has spent seven years working in French prisons and has supported refugee communities across the UK and Europe since 2015. She sees clowning as an act of resilience: another way of inhabiting our own story, far from pity or victimhood.

Zuma Puma
Award-winning Gaulier and Potchinko-trained clown, NLP Master Practitioner and founder of Clownlife.org, Zuma blends clowning, ritual, psychomagic and neuroscience to explore mental health as a creative and transformative process. She is also the creator of the Clown Arcana Tarot and founder of London's cult alternative comedy night The International Lost Cabaret.

Suzy Harvey
Specialist in joy and connection, former Giggle Doctor in children's hospitals, and host of online laughter yoga and expressive dance classes, Suzy brings warmth, playfulness and genuine therapeutic experience to everything she does. She closes the series with a session placing the ridiculous and the profound side by side.